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  • From: Art Petrzelka <art AT complum.com>
  • To: bockpa AT plesh.com, Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] SOILS
  • Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 08:40:42 -0500

I'm trying to learn all I can about it. I picked up a book by Charles Walters
called "Weeds: Control Without Poisons" because I wanted to collect some
organic methods to go with my certification and my soon-to-be Century Farm.

So many things I read in that book struck a chord of recognition about what
weeds mean, where they like to grow, what soil conditions are like when you
get certain weeds. That led me to the Acres USA Web site and several visits
to the library. Time is a little constrained right now, but since I broke my
little toe two weeks ago, I have more time than I should have this time of
year...

Well, enough of it struck home that I'm grabbing all I can of it. I'm reading
Hands On Agronomy now, and Magdoff's "Building Soils For Better Crops". I
also have Weeds by Muenscher.

I did have two soil samples sent in to the state, and plan on doing some more
thorough soil testing done later. I'm planning on getting a small soil
testing kit so I can do more soil testing here, and use the lab results to
check against so I don't drift off to far from reality.

Oh, one of the soil samples was from a plot right next to the road. The
sample
came back with a pH of 8.0, and a comment saying that there was a calcium
surplus in the soil, and perhaps too much wood ashes or lime had been
applied. Since its south of a gravel road, I expect that 50 years of dust
have taken their toll on the soil.

On Wednesday 18 June 2003 08:03, Paul A. Bock wrote:
> Do many people out there follow the Albrecht theory of soils to
> maintain
> their soil fertility? Or use a book called "The Biological Farmer" or
> "Hands on Agronomy"? Or perform regular soil analysis to monitor their
> soil nutrient levels?
--
Art Petrzelka
Amana, Iowa




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